Spotlight
The Houthis’ Broken Promises
A viral video by the Yemeni influencer Fidaa al-Din Yahya contrasts the group’s statements with its actions, and challenges the idea that its stance toward the Palestinians should shield it from scrutiny over its conduct at home.
A View From Ohio
To many Americans, the Buckeye State, like its miles of flatlands, is an archetype of the middle ground, a kind of baseline for the ordinary. But as the midterm election frenzy comes to an end, the state’s outsize role offers enduring lessons for a country in flux.
Mbappé’s Mao Gaffe Costs Him in China
A throwaway line on a French talk show cost the Real Madrid star his Chinese sponsors and left his club and La Liga scrambling to protect one of soccer’s most lucrative markets.
Yemen’s War Has Turned Facebook Into a Mourning Wall
As fighting intensified this fall, Yemenis turned Facebook into a running record of the dead. Hundreds of posts trace the lives of students and graduates who felt they had no choice but to take up arms.
Thirteen Years of Harassment, and Three Minutes to Close Mada Masr
The court-ordered closure of Mada Masr, after years of legal and security harassment, and the continued detention of six Matsda2sh journalists signal an intensifying crackdown on independent media. It comes as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is preparing for a post-2030 political transition, warns about threats to national consciousness.
Inside the Syrian Village Hit by Jordan’s Airstrikes
Lamis was 8. Her brothers, Osama and Yaseen, were 9 and 11. They were killed alongside their uncle and grandmother when Jordanian jets struck their village in southern Syria, in what Amman called a precision attack against the Islamic State group. The children’s father had been disappeared by Assad.
‘You’re Not Supposed To Be Here’
Palestinian citizens of Israel face considerable discrimination, with racist rhetoric and marginalization increasing since Oct. 7. Nevertheless, and despite considerable evidence to the contrary, some are convinced that the system can be changed from within.